Getting lit(erature) with the Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award

Getting lit(erature) with the Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award

The Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award is a list of books picked by the state of Illinois to encourage high school students to read. The list consists of twenty books that come from a variety of different genres, authors, and writing styles.

The list is voted on by a panel of high school students, librarians, and teachers. Kourtney Lynch, a sophomore at Sandburg, said, “It has introduced me to one of my new favorite books, ‘All the Bright Places.’ So I totally recommend for people to do it.”

To be a part of the Abraham Illinois Lincoln High School Book Award, students must read four books on the list, which can be found on the blue bookmark at the checkout center. They must then fill out the set of questions on the back of the bookmark and put it into the box labeled “Abe Lincoln Book Award Contest” for a chance to win a $10 gift card at the end of every month. Mrs. Williams, the library clerk, said,” It gives kids a chance to win prizes at the end of each month where you draw them out of the box where they put their summaries.”

Other benefits of getting involved in the program is that students can put it on college applications, and there is a luncheon at the end of the year for students who have read four books from the list. Another benefit of reading some of the books is that students will be introduced to a variety of topics.

The list of books is very diverse, and covers a bunch of diverse situations. The books give the students a chance to learn about topics they might not know a lot about. One of the books, “All the Bright Places”, is about a boy struggling with suicidal thoughts and a girl mourning the death of her sister. The book gives the reader a perspective about people’s thoughts and why they act the way they do.

Other topics covered by the Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award are grief, rape, love, kidnapping, supernatural abilities, and much more. The list is also highly encouraged by the Media Center. Mrs.Terlep, a library specialist, said “I think it’s a good way to get students interested in reading, and I think they do a good job of having different levels and different types of books. There is something to appeal to everyone”.

According to the Illinois School Library Association, “this program is designed to encourage high school students to read for pleasure and to become lifelong readers.”
The Abraham Illinois Lincoln High School Book Award is a way to get kids to read young adult books and learn about different topics.